Skip to content
YIMBY Melbourne
Flagship Report
Commonwealth
20 July 2026

Australian Zoning Atlas

The Australian Zoning Atlas is the first ever nation-wide map that classifies and compares residential planning controls across Australia.

Lead Authors: Jonathan O'Brien & Ethan Gilbert & Paul Spasojevic

The Headline

≈81% of residential land in the average capital city is highly restricted.

Within 20 km of the city centre, residential land is highly restricted where one or more of these controls apply:

  • Height is capped at two storeys or fewer,
  • Only detached dwellings are permitted,
  • The zoning carries an explicit “low-density” designation, or
  • The site is subject to heritage controls.

That adds up to ≈1,470 km² and ≈76% of all residential land within 20 km of all eight capital city centres combined.